-
Great Beer Expo was an Ocean of Philly’s Beloved IPAs for Beer Week
Photos, story by Clare Shepherd This is the most important thing this article has to say: go try Free Will Brewing’s Community Kolsch. Nearly every brewery at the 8th annual Great Beer Expo brought their most popular IPA. Philadelphia is, as one brewer put it, a crowded marketplace for this style: a representative from Double Nickel, one of the two newest companies at the event, said that if a company calls a distributor saying they have an IPA, or a pale ale, they won’t even get a call back. “It’s a crowded marketplace,” said one brewer. “When it comes to beer, if you can make it in Philadelphia, you can…
-
Amber Waves: Beer for Mural Arts at the National Museum of American Jewish History
Photos, story by Clare Shepherd Craft brewers and artists from all over the country lent a hand and raised a glass to the Mural Arts Program on Thursday. Amber Waves featured representatives from 27 breweries, all attendees at the nearby Craft Brewer’s Conference, pouring some of the best beers they had to offer at the National Museum of American Jewish History. While brewers discussed their product and offered samples of their amber colored brews, each brewery offered a chance to bid on unique artwork in a silent auction fundraiser for Mural Arts. This silent auction fundraiser/beer tasting event is held every year in the city hosting the Craft Brewer’s Conference, and…
-
Brews for Every Taste Bud at the Pottstown Firkin Fest
Story and photos by Elizabeth Coffey Nothing can chase away the blues like a cold, frosty beer in hand and a relaxing stroll through one of Pennsylvania’s prettiest parks. The Pottstown Firkin Fest brings together these two elements seamlessly with live music and fantastic food at Pottstown’s Manatawny Park. For those beer connoisseurs who don’t like braving the crowds or long lines of other beer festivals, the Pottstown Firkin Fest is a more intimate setting to sip on specialty beers throughout the area. Talk barley, brewing methods, and more with experienced beer makers and distributors like the Lancaster Brewing Company, The Other Farm Brewing Company, Conshohocken Brewing Company, Evil Genius…
-
Philly’s Oldest Tavern Continues Tasty Tradition of Nosh, Drink at McGillin’s Old Ale House
Photos, story by Jill Beckel Explore Philly stopped into McGillin’s Old Ale House on a chilly Thursday evening in February. Known as the “oldest continuously operating tavern” in Philadelphia, it was established in 1860 on 1310 Drury Street. According to their website, “McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors the year Lincoln was elected president. That’s shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked and long before ground was broken for Philadelphia City Hall. The beer taps have been flowing since 1860 — making it one of the oldest taverns in the country.” With such a rich history, McGillin’s Old Ale House is a must-stop for locals and tourists alike. The bar is filled with history…
-
Atlanta, Georgia’s Sweetwater Brewing Company Debuts Delicious IPA’s at Devil’s Den
Story by Elspeth Misiaszek, photos by Cassie Hepler Pop quiz: Which Extra Pale Ale is the second largest seller in the United States? If you guessed 420 Extra Pale Ale by Sweetwater, give yourself a pat on the back. With a limited line of craft brews, you’d never guess that Sweetwater Brewing Company has become the little brewery that could. Over the last several months, their phenomenal popularity has helped them break into more and more markets across the U.S. – and they’ve finally come to Philly. On Tuesday, Explore Philly joined Sweetwater representatives at the Devil’s Den in South Philly to give their delicious craft a warm welcome to our…
-
Meet Rosetta, Ommegang Brewery’s New Cherry Lambic
Story, photos by Elspeth Misiaszek If you want to see craft beer aficionados crinkle their noses, offer them a fruit beer. Better yet, put fruit in their beer a la Blue Moon oranges or Corona limes. For the longest time, it’s simply not been commonly accepted that the world of tasty fruit and manly beer should meet … until now. Known for their high-octane selections, Ommegang Brewery has long been a staple in the craft brew world. Even their signature 750ml bottles seemed to laugh in the face of lower ABV beers. Ommegang Brewery has recently created the mother of all fruit beers, a cherry lambic. Dare we snobbishly reference her…
-
North Wales Pourhouse Offers 120 Beers on Tap Plus… Poutine!!!
Story by Elspeth Misiaszek, photos by Alexander Waegel The Pourhouse will be opening its doors in North Wales at 29 Airport Square on Sept. 21, 2015. With a full menu of upscale pub food, their selection of fine food and brews is sure to please the entire family. Appetizers start at just $6 per plate, including mozzarella triangles, colossal shrimp with creole dipping sauce, and the ever classic pigs in a blanket. What more could a beer geek ask for? Pretzel bites. Using Allagash white (an unfiltered Belgian wit bier) makes the pretzel cheese dipping sauce a stand-out option, even if you’re still sober when ordering. Impressively, a local micro-brewery also finds…
-
Fanastic Food Porn: An Epic Philly Restaurant Roundup List That Will Leave You Drooling
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler We’ve eaten our way though Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, just to provide you with a stellar list of places – old and new – that serve just plain good food. And we’ve also done all the extra exercise that goes along with being a Philly phoodie! Philly is constantly churning through so many new restaurants (and we love and encourage all of them), however some are just classics that don’t get as much local love as they should. So cheers to a misfit food porn list that will certainly compel more than just your stomach to move. BonChon Chicken – 1020 Cherry Street (Chinatown)…
-
Atlantic City, N.J. Getting Crafty With Beer
Atlantic City is a beer-drinker’s town. Here are some of the more noteworthy places to sample some craft beer suds: BEER BARS AND RESTAURANTS In the Casinos · Bill’s Bar and Burger: For classic comfort food and plenty of microbrews Bill’s Bar and Burger at Harrah’s Resort is the place to be. Burger junkies will find the hamburger of their dreams and a Belgian, stout or IPA to go with it. The hand-dipped spiked milkshakes end the meal with a sweet surprise. harrahsresort.com · Boardwalk Beer Garden: Right in the center of the Boardwalk action and with an ever-changing mix of live music the…
-
Yards Brewing Company loving the ladies with Lady Birds Beer Club
By Cassie Hepler Newsflash: Ladies like craft beer too. And if this really is news to you, what rock have you been hiding under all winter? It’s time to get out, stretch those wings and fly over to Yards Brewing Company to enjoy some stellar seasonal beer with their first ever ladies beer club dubbed Lady Birds Beer. The first meeting was held on April 1, 2015, while celebrating the release of Unite Red Ale, brewed collaboratively with the women of Yards, Victory Beer & Malteurop North America. In true ladies night honor, the first beer is free with your drink ticket from 5-7 p.m. Lady Birds Beer Club will meet on…